After endless, premature teases from retailers, the holidays are here for real and they’ve taken over our December 2018 events calendar. Dive into the spirit of giving with a stop at one of the best gift shops in L.A. or channel your altruistic side with these volunteer opportunities. If you’re not stuck showing your visiting relatives around town, maybe consider making an escape to one of our favorite weekend getaways. Whatever your plans are—even if you’re feeling like a bit of a grinch—you’ll find plenty of activities to take advantage of in our December events calendar.

Drift into the Convention Center for the 10-day L.A. Auto Show with cars that would even make Bond drool. If you’re a car nerd, get behind the wheel to test drive one of the cherry rides, while celebrities meet and greet at the manufacturer exhibits.

Touch, climb and explore 19 interactive, illuminated installations at Grand Park’s inaugural nighttime experience. The Downtown park is taking advantage of this time of year’s ever-shortening daylight with a light-up activation that brings a bit of warmth to the area.

California makes some incredible wine, and to celebrate, Palm Springs is celebrating with its first-ever CA-centric festival. Kick things off on Saturday at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club with a free pool party.

Silver Lake’s darling restaurant and pantry shop is throwing its first-ever holiday market, and the team is celebrating vendors from the community. Want to shop local? These are the cute, curated and L.A.-made gifts you’ve been looking for.

Gifted alt country songstress Neko Case is equally at ease fronting power pop gems and murder ballads alike. Over two decades into her career, her voice is still as haltingly spectacular as its ever been—and particularly powerful live. She hits the road with fellow New Pornographers collaborator Dan Bejar.

Trent Reznor is back with an electronic juggernaut that still continues to push the boundaries of rock music. Expect his beautiful melodies teeming with industrial grit to get—and stay—under your skin. They’re joined by Scottish noise pop icons the Jesus & Mary Chain.

Strike the electrified, amped-up harp and join the chorus: the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas lineup is here. Don’t let its dainty Christmas name fool you—the annual concert is most definitely a plugged-in affair featuring some of the year’s top mainstream, alt-rock radio staples. The first night’s lineup includes Smashing Pumpkins, Third Eye Blind, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Greta Van Fleet, AFI, AJR, Badflower, Bad Religion and the Interrupters, while night two includes Florence + The Machine, Death Cab for Cutie, Bastille, Mike Shinoda, Billie Eilish, Chvrches, Lovelytheband, Mike Posner and Young the Giant.

If you’ve ever had a soft spot for the Mac, you owe it to yourself to catch the group on its current tour. We imagine the M.O. will be the same as usual: a set list crammed with hits, during which Stevie and Christine (but sans Lindsey) graciously share the spotlight. And try not to grin when Mick Fleetwood takes his lovably kooky drum solo during the encore.

American Ballet Theatre is returning to Southern California with its production of The Nutcracker. The show will feature larger-than-life scenery, a Christmas tree and sets and costumes designed by Tony Award-winner Richard Hudson.

See Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Cardi B and Lil Uzi Vert headline this two-day hip-hop fest, which this year has moved from the far reaches of San Bernardino to a much closer locale: Exposition Park’s Banc of California Stadium. The absolutely massive lineup also includes the likes of Wiz Khalifa, 21 Savage, Ty Dolla $ign, Young Thug, Kodak Black, Playboi Carti, Tyga and Lil Yachty.

After celebrating the release of his latest album, ASTROWORLD, Travis Scott returns on his WISH YOU WERE HERE tour. The Houston rapper and Kayne West protege presides over a cavalcade of famous friends on his recent record, trading verses with Drake, harnessing the psychedelic production of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and making way for guitar riffs provided by John Mayer.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Hollywood and Downtown L.A. Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. You don’t even need to bring your own blanket or camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair, as well as blankets on request for the ultimate cozy experience. And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word.

Indulge your inner foodie and shopaholic at this weekly food-focused market. The Brooklyn export has landed in the Arts District and become a hotbed of fantastic food and retail vendors, with some that are testing out their dishes before launching a full-blown brick-and-mortar in the city. Bonus: there is plentiful (and free, for two hours!) parking in the nearby parking garage.

The newest flea market on the block, the Venice outpost of this artisan/craft-focused flea market mini-empire is bringing records, vintage and vintage-inspired clothing, cosmetics, jewelry and more to the Westminster Avenue Elementary School. A handful of small batch confectioners provide sweet treats to snack on or take home, while food trucks and nearby restaurants provide heartier bites. Though relatively small in size, owing perhaps to its prime location bookending the neighborhood’s famed Abbot Kinney stretch, vendors hawk a diverse range of hand-made and expertly curated wares that seems to simultaneously fit in and stand out in one of the nation’s most unusual neighborhoods.

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze.
Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. This year’s first batch of screenings includes The Neverending Story, Drive, Almost Famous and Casablanca.
Angelenos line up for hours to partake in the concept—and to enjoy DJ sets, dance parties, sleepovers and more magical mischief otherwise strictly forbidden behind the cemetery gates. It’s an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. Just be sure to get your ticket early, arrive early (doors open at 6:45pm), pee early... it’s getting a bit overcrowded, to say the least.

Every Saturday and Sunday, the UCB franchise's longest-running, most beloved showcase starts when a base cast of the theater's current top-brass—including founding UCB members Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts—takes the stage. Then they introduce the surprise celebrity alumnae and friends who will be joining them (think Horatio Sanz, Ben Schwartz, Adam Pally). And finally, another special guest takes the stage, a non-improviser (think Flea, Cat Power, Rebel Wilson, Lena Dunham) who opens the show with a personal story, that's deftly mined for laughs by the players. But you have to go to find out who's there—that's part of the fun. Looking for a cheap night out? Sunday shows are free, but seating is first-come, first-served, so be sure to arrive early.

Silver Lake's legit little music venue offers up some of the best local music in the city every Monday night... for free. Check out LA bands that are about to make it big (acts like Fitz & the Tantrums, Superhumanoids and even Local Natives have graced the residency stage) without spending a dime—well, except on maybe a beer, or a round for the folks onstage. Check the Satellite calendar to see who's on the bill each month. Acts often have a rotating cast of openers, so you can see different bands each week while watching the main act work on material, become more comfortable onstage and find their rhythm as the month goes on. Then a few years from now, you can say "I saw them when...."

It's free music every Monday when sponsored, up-and-coming local bands call the Echo stage home for a one-month stint, honing their stage presence and giving various opening acts a chance at the spotlight as well. If you're worried a Monday night will fill up to capacity, you can RSVP on the Echo website for VIP entry. When a band is on its third or fourth Monday and killing it, this is a pretty convenient way to make sure you're in on the action.

Perhaps the Los Angeles area’s most iconic flea market, this event around the exterior of the Rose Bowl is staggeringly colossal—but what else would you expect from a 90,000-seat stadium? The sheer size and scale of this flea market means that it encompasses multitudes: new and old, hand-crafted and salvaged, the cheap and the costly. On the second Sunday of each month, an odd mix of vendors populates the loop around the stadium: for every eye-catching artwork, there's a ratty $5 T-shirt, and for each elegant craft there's a competing "as seen on TV" demo. But you may have more luck in the rows and rows of old furniture, albums and vintage clothes and accessories that fill the adjacent parking lot. There are plenty of duds, to be sure, but come out early enough and you may go home with that perfect purchase. This destination flea market attracts bargain hunters, collectors, and antique aficionados from all over the county, so the organizers have instituted an extensive tiered entry/admission system, allowing professional and dedicated shoppers early access at a premium.

Dine out without digging too deep into your wallet at Little Dom's Monday night supper, where a three-course meal goes for an affordable $18. Each week the menu changes—some weeks it might feature pasta, others it could highlight roast chicken—but the lineup always includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Drinks are discounted, too: snag a bottle of red or white for $18, or a Pabst Blue Ribbon for $3. Check Little Dom's website for the most updated Monday night menu.

Any crafter worth her weight in cashmere yarn knows that Renegade Craft Fair is the fair all other fairs aspire to. Held in urban epicenters such as Brooklyn, Chicago, Austin and of course, Los Angeles, Renegade is a traveling marketplace showcasing work from hundreds of the country’s best contemporary indie craft artists. Aside from the wares, Renegade offers all sorts of homemade DIY fun and festivities: think classes and demos, free photo booths and tons of tasty food trucks. Renegade hosts an epic summer fair, along with supplemental holiday fairs in wintertime that help you check everyone off your gift list—including yourself.

L.A.’s star-studded lecture series has outdone itself this season with a lineup of writers, artists, performers, scientists and business leaders, who, for as little as $20 per Live Talk, will graciously blow your mind. Venues around the city will host guest speakers to tickle a variety of Angeleno brains—from those interested in technology to those who fancy literature. Check the Live Talks website for individual event details, and snag your tickets before word spreads.

There was a time when Donald Glover was just a sitcom star who released clever, embarrassingly confessional rap tracks under a moniker devised by a Wu-Tang Clan name generator. These days, he’s the creator of genre-defying FX show Atlanta, a part of the Star Wars universe (as young Lando Calrissian) and the creative voice behind the striking music video for his latest track, “This is America.” On tour behind his not-yet-titled “final” album, Glover will be joined by Mississippi hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd and Long Beach rapper Vince Staples.

California makes some incredible wine, and to celebrate, Palm Springs is celebrating with its first-ever CA-centric festival. Kick things off on Saturday at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club with a free pool party that's co-hosted by Wine Not?'s Evan Enderle and Bon Appetit wine editor Marissa A. Ross, and comes complete with DJ sets—not to mention poolside bars stocked with curated small-batch wines for purchase.
Then on Sunday, make your way to the Ace's Commune event space and taste your way through some of the state's best and most groundbreaking vintners, including Broc Cellars, Scholium Project, Scribe Winery, Methode Sauvage, Red Car Wine, Halcyon Wines, Ruth Lewandowski and Whitcraft Winery. Tickets to the festival—$75 in advance and $85 at the door—include unlimited tastings, small bites, discussions with the winemakers, plus live music. Drink it in.

This 2-hour guided walking tour of Los Angeles' spookiest places will satisfy mystery lovers, ghost hunters, and followers of cold cases. Follow your guide along a trail of haunted hotels, historic massacres, bombings, underground tunnels, and true crimes that have never been explained. Starting at the haunted Pico Hotel and ending at Pershing Square, this nighttime tour is not for the faint of heart. Peek underneath the sunny allure of the City of Angeles into its dark side.

The botanical garden’s nighttime experience masterfully mixes hands-on art installations with atmospheric, luminescent forests, all against a background of uplit trees and shimmery sound effects.
Enchanted is intuitively immersive: You can tap columns that change color according to your touch; spin a dizzying swirl of kaleidoscopic patterns with HYBYCOZO’s “Celestial Shadows” pendants; and stomp your way across Jen Lewin’s “Aqueous,” a serpentine Candyland-like path that changes colors as you meander along its winding walkway.
This year, “Celestial Shadows” has been upgraded with even more sculptures, including a particulalrly mesmerizing disco-ball–like one, while the layout of “Aqueous” has been slightly reconfigured, with glowing benches around the perimeter. At “Lightwave Lake,” you can no longer control the swirl of colorful spotlights atop the foggy water, but there are far more stations to change the colors of the lighting on the trees (And bonus: There’s a whiskey bar adjacent, with an especially delicious spiked cider).
Elsewhere, “Enchanted” (delightedly) looks much like it has in the past: a field of faux tulips ripples with waves of twinkling color changes while the mist-filled “Ancient Forest” still beckons visitors with its straight-out-of-E.T. setting.
You’ll want to wear comfy shoes as it’s about a mile walk around “Enchanted.” The route is clearly marked and the grounds are mostly level, though some of the paths can get a little spongey if it’s rained r

You can hit up the W’s Rooftop anyday of the year, but with its 360-degree Downtown skyline-meets-Hollywood-Hills view, this trusted destination still serves as a stellar locale for NYE. Inside, the night is made special not by LED walls or caged dancers, but by DJ talent that knows how to capture the energy of a party and elevate care-free rug cutters to the next level of joy. Steal away for a pensive, one-on-one moment with nature or a makeout sesh in a cabana alongside the wetdeck—this is New Year’s in L.A., after all.

Relive your childhood theatergoing experiences this Christmas with Uncle Drosselmeyer, Clara and her beloved Nutcracker at the L.A. Ballet. The timeless show will travel all over L.A., from Glendale to Cerritos, from Westwood and Hollywood to Redondo Beach over the holiday season, performing their classic pirouettes and Mouse King battles for all L.A. County to see.

Drift into the Convention Center for the 10-day L.A. Auto Show with cars that would even make Bond drool. If you're a car nerd, get behind the wheel to test drive one of the cherry rides, while celebrities meet and greet at the manufacturer exhibits. With world and North American debuts from BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and more, rev up for the machines of the future.

Indulge your inner foodie and shopaholic at this weekly food-focused market. The Brooklyn export has landed in the Arts District and become a hotbed of fantastic food and retail vendors, with some that are testing out their dishes before launching a full-blown brick-and-mortar in the city. Bonus: there is plentiful (and free, for two hours!) parking in the nearby parking garage.

Silver Lake's legit little music venue offers up some of the best local music in the city every Monday night... for free. Check out LA bands that are about to make it big (acts like Fitz & the Tantrums, Superhumanoids and even Local Natives have graced the residency stage) without spending a dime—well, except on maybe a beer, or a round for the folks onstage. Check the Satellite calendar to see who's on the bill each month. Acts often have a rotating cast of openers, so you can see different bands each week while watching the main act work on material, become more comfortable onstage and find their rhythm as the month goes on. Then a few years from now, you can say "I saw them when...."

Every Saturday and Sunday, the UCB franchise's longest-running, most beloved showcase starts when a base cast of the theater's current top-brass—including founding UCB members Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts—takes the stage. Then they introduce the surprise celebrity alumnae and friends who will be joining them (think Horatio Sanz, Ben Schwartz, Adam Pally). And finally, another special guest takes the stage, a non-improviser (think Flea, Cat Power, Rebel Wilson, Lena Dunham) who opens the show with a personal story, that's deftly mined for laughs by the players. But you have to go to find out who's there—that's part of the fun. Looking for a cheap night out? Sunday shows are free, but seating is first-come, first-served, so be sure to arrive early.

It's free music every Monday when sponsored, up-and-coming local bands call the Echo stage home for a one-month stint, honing their stage presence and giving various opening acts a chance at the spotlight as well. If you're worried a Monday night will fill up to capacity, you can RSVP on the Echo website for VIP entry. When a band is on its third or fourth Monday and killing it, this is a pretty convenient way to make sure you're in on the action.

The newest flea market on the block, the Venice outpost of this artisan/craft-focused flea market mini-empire is bringing records, vintage and vintage-inspired clothing, cosmetics, jewelry and more to the Westminster Avenue Elementary School. A handful of small batch confectioners provide sweet treats to snack on or take home, while food trucks and nearby restaurants provide heartier bites. Though relatively small in size, owing perhaps to its prime location bookending the neighborhood’s famed Abbot Kinney stretch, vendors hawk a diverse range of hand-made and expertly curated wares that seems to simultaneously fit in and stand out in one of the nation’s most unusual neighborhoods.

Head to Echo Park on Mondays for free residencies at one of the best venues on the East side, the Bootleg. Theater shows happen in the Gallery, and music in the Theater (in back) and the Bar (in front). Residencies take place in the bar, with high tables and stools in the back, a bar with great craft brews and a high, open-beamed roof with great acoustics. Check the Bootleg's calendar to see who's on the bill month to month.

Want to admire the moon and constellations up close, but don’t have your own powerful telescope at home? Not to worry, Griffith Observatory has you covered with their popular (and free) monthly Public Star Parties. Head out to the Observatory’s expansive lawn among hundreds of other star enthusiasts and check out the views through a wide variety of telescopes, with savvy amateur astronomers happy to discuss what you see through their equipment. The views of celestial objects above and L.A.’s majestic city lights below make this a special evening for the whole family.

Feel as though you've escaped to a small-town fishing village during the Marina Del Rey Boat Parade. Bring a blanket and gather around Fisherman’s Village or Burton Chace Park to watch as 70 boats glide through the marina with holiday lights and decorations in competition. Categories include Best Theme, Best Animation, Best Band, Best Lights and more. The festivities begin at 5:55pm with fireworks, and the boat parade starts at 6pm, rain or shine.
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Los Angeles gets a taste of Broadway once a week on Musical Mondays (MuMo) at the massive Eleven Nightclub. Unlike most nights, when the latest Top 40 dance hits can be heard in heavy rotation at the Santa Monica Boulevard hotspot, the genre of choice on Mondays at Eleven is musicals... purely musicals. For one night only, Gaga, Beyoncé, Madonna and Rihanna take a backseat while the songs of musical legends like Barbra Streisand, Patti LuPone, Kristen Chenowith and Linda Eder rule the stage. A mix of live performances and videos of classic moments from Broadway and film make this not only one of the most feel-good nights of the week, but also one heck of a reason to actually look forward to Mondays.

Stroll through Union Station’s handsome south patio as this holiday market rolls into the historic train station. The market also includes live music, a craft beer garden and food trucks, plus a craft station and wishlist workshop for kids. And, of course, we couldn’t think of a more Metro-friendly location for a holiday market than Union Station.

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze.
Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. This year’s first batch of screenings includes The Neverending Story, Drive, Almost Famous and Casablanca.
Angelenos line up for hours to partake in the concept—and to enjoy DJ sets, dance parties, sleepovers and more magical mischief otherwise strictly forbidden behind the cemetery gates. It’s an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. Just be sure to get your ticket early, arrive early (doors open at 6:45pm), pee early... it’s getting a bit overcrowded, to say the least.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Hollywood and Downtown L.A. Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. You don’t even need to bring your own blanket or camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair, as well as blankets on request for the ultimate cozy experience. And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word.

Organized by The Museum of Modern Art and presented by the Hammer Museum, “The Contenders” series presents 10 influential, innovative films made in the past year that MoMA’s Department of Film believes are bound for big things (whether that means awards season glory or cult classic status). In addition to screenings of all ten films, most will be accompanied by a director or actor from the project.
This year’s picks include Roma, Black Panther, Widows presented by Steve McQueen, Sorry to Bother You with a Q&A with Boots Riley, The Front Runner with a discussion with Jason Reitman and more.
“The Contenders” isn’t strictly an awards season spoiler; MoMA considers its picks as movies that will stand the test of time. But the series has turned out to be a pretty good Oscars predictor, with 7 out of the 10 featured films grabbing nominations in 2017, and 8 out of 10 in 2016.
Tickets for the screenings and post-film panels are available November 19 for $20 (or $10 for Hammer members).